It's Better This Way
by AnimeGirl 144
Summary: He's in darkness. How did he get here? Why is his memory so fuzzy? Why are his thoughts so fuzzy? And who is that calling for him?


**So I'm not really sure where the top half of this story came from, but here it is. The rest of this story was because I needed some X & Speed brother-bonding. Alright, I lied. This entire story is because I need X & Speed brother-bonding.**

**This is my second attempt at writing in present tense, so please feel free to speak up if you see mistakes.**

**Please enjoy, and feel free to comment.**

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><p>He's in darkness. He knows this because he sees nothing, and so if he sees nothing, then that has to mean he's in darkness. But how did he get here? Why is his memory so fuzzy? Why are his thoughts so fuzzy?<p>

"Racer X!"

Someone's calling his name. He can recognize it as his name, but it's also not his name. Does that even make sense? It does to him, at least.

"Get up Racer X!"

They sound so worried. Why are they worried? Why is the voice so familiar? Why can't he put a face to the voice? He knows this voice. This voice means something to him, but why can't he recognize it?

"X, get up."

There's another voice; this is a new one. It sounds older than the first voice. This one is also familiar, but not as important as the other one. This one is worried too, but it sounds controlled. Like this voice is trying not to let their emotions show. Why? How does he know this voice? How does he know either voices?

"X!"

It's the first voice again. They're sounding desperate. Why? Why are they worried about him? What happened to him?

"X!"

"Racer X!"

"Rex!"

Another new voice, but this one is tinier. This one is smaller, younger. This is the voice of a child.

"Rex, get up."

This voice is important.

"Please Rex."

This voice is important to _him_. This voice is important, and it is sad and desperate and worried.

"You have to get up."

He has to get up. This voice is telling him to. The voice is calling him. He has to get up.

He made a promise to this child. He knows it somewhere inside of him that he made a promise. He can't go back on his promise; he _won't._

"Rex."

He has to get up!

"Rex!"

He _will _get up!

He _will_ get up and he_ will _get to this child. This child is important. He has to...He has to get to the child to comfort him. To encourage him. To_ protect _him.

"Rex."

He knows this child. He knows his name.

"Rex."

This child is important to him. He's the only thing important to him.

"Rex."

This child...

"Rex!"

...he has to get to...

"_Rex!_"

_Speed!_

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><p>Racer X's eyes snap open from underneath their tinted sunglasses. A gasp of breath escapes his throat, bringing in oxygen to his lungs. His mind is working a mile a minute, trying to play catch up. When he blinks, it's at that time that he realizes people are surrounding him.<p>

Hazel eyes are staring down at him, worry clearly written in his eyes, but there's relief on this person's face, and a small smile worms its way onto his face. X recognizes this face immediately, and a sense of relief floods his entire body before he even realizes why it does; this is Speed. Speed is hanging directly over him, and is the only one X can see until the boy moves back onto his heels and reveals the other person who's close by.

To X's right is Inspector Detector. His face looks neutral, but Racer X has worked with him long enough to know that the man is worried and relieved. He gets up and immediately looks around, frowning slightly when he doesn't see what he wants to see, and squats back down on the ground, this time getting closer to X than he had previously been.

"Don't worry X, the track ambulance should be here soon," the inspector says in reassurance.

_Ambulance? Why? _he thinks.

He doesn't voice his thoughts, but his physical features act without his consent, and a frown appears on his face. The frown makes Speed lean forward, placing a hand on the older man's shoulder. The action causes X to turn his attention onto Speed.

"Racer X...What do you remember?" he asks.

X blinks, knowing that Speed can't see it because of the glasses. He then closes his eyes and tries to find the memories so he can answer the question. What could he remember? Why was he on the ground? How did he get here?

Slowly but surely, the memories are coming back to him. He and Speed were in a race with twenty other people. They were on a track, and it was in the middle of the day. He and Speed had been in the front position, both of them racing for first place. He had looked in the rearview mirror because he was always aware of his situations. Another racer had been trailing behind them, and he had a weapon on his car. X had slowed down and got right behind the Mach 6, getting between the other racer and Speed. The other racer had fired off the weapon, and it had struck the Shooting Star point blank, sending the yellow-and-black car into the railing of the track. The shot from the railing had rolled the car, and it was at that point that he had been knocked out.

Glancing around, he notices that his car is still flipped over off to the side of the track, and that they're not too far from where it is. The Mach 6 was parked close by to the Shooting Star. Compared to the Shooting Star, it only has a few scratches, but looks undamaged. Tilting his head further, he sees a simple black car parked close to the Shooting Star, like it was trying to protect the damaged race car from behind.

"X," Speed calls, turning X's attention onto Speed. "What can you remember?"

"Is the race over?"

The young racer blinks at the question, obviously not expecting that from X's mouth.

"What?"

"Is the race over?" X repeats.

"Yeah, it ended a little while ago," Speed responds. "Why does that matter?"

"Why are you here?" X questions, ignoring Speed's own question.

Speed furrows his brows in confusion.

"Why wouldn't I be here?" Speed questions.

"You should have kept going," X replies, closing his eyes when the light from the sun began to give him a headache. "You should have won the race."

"You took a hit for me and you think I'd leave you on the side of the track?" Speed's voice sounds incredulous.

"You should have," X stresses, opening his eyes again and staring at Speed.

Speed's brows furrowed even further, but there's a determined look on his face. X knows it all too well; he'd seen it plenty of times when Speed had only been a tyke.

"There's no way I'd do that," Speed replies. "You said we were friends, right? So I wouldn't leave a friend behind after they saved me from a hit. Besides, you stopped and helped me back in Fuji."

X closes his eyes once more. He knew his actions from the Fuji track would come back to bite him. He hadn't regretted helping Speed, but he also knew that Speed would use it as an excuse to help X later on down the road. He knew his brother too well.

"'Sides, Rex wouldn't have liked me turning my back on a friend," Speed continues, his voice solemn at the mention of his dead brother.

X didn't need his eyes open to know the look Inspector Detector is giving him; he could feel it. The inspector usually took every opportunity to bother X about the life he had given up. The inspector sympathized with the Racer family greatly, and was silently trying to pressure X into revealing the truth.

"X, are you getting tired?" Speed asks, his tone filled with worry once more.

"A little," X answers, thankful for a change of subject.

"You need to stay awake X," Inspector Detector speaks up. "The medics need to examine you. You hit yourself pretty hard when your car rolled; you may already have a concussion."

Racer X, although still feeling the effects, manages to scoff at his boss' statement.

"I've suffered worse."

"Worse than a concussion?" Speed questions, his tone slightly awed.

"Don't get him started kid," the inspector cut in. "Besides, I don't think you'd want to know."

"Did they all come from the race track?" Speed asks, ignoring the inspector's words.

"Some did," X answers. "But not all of them."

"Would you mind telling me about them some day?" Speed asks, and his tone is just a bit hopeful.

"Maybe," X lies.

It's not like he's ashamed of the stories or the wounds he had received as a result. But he just doesn't feel like scaring Speed, even if Speed isn't aware that X is his brother. Speed would probably have a heart attack if he knew the things his brother went through on an almost daily basis. Before he can feel more guilty about continuously lying to his brother, he hears the siren of the track ambulance.

He doesn't bother to open his eyes when he hears the sounds of footsteps running towards him, the sounds of gurney wheels racing towards his location. He can hear Inspector Detector speaking with the medics. Someone leans down on his right, and a hand touches his arm.

"Racer X, I'm going to need you to open your eyes," the medic orders. "We need to ask you questions."

Reluctantly, X opens his eyes and stares up at the male medic that is leaning over him. Speed is still to his left, eyeing the medic just as critically as the inspector is. All three are well aware of how corrupt the races are, so they are cautious around any officials.

"Go ahead," X says to the medic.

"Do you recall what happened to your racing vehicle?" the medic questions.

"The Shooting Star flipped," the Masker Racer replies simply.

"Do you know how?" the medic questions, his tone slightly annoyed that Racer X hadn't answered his question in full.

"I was moving around Racer," X answers, nodding his head in Speed's direction, "when I was hit."

The medic nods at the answer.

"Are you aware of how long you were unconscious?" the medic questions.

From the corner of his eyes, X can see Speed giving the medic an annoyed look. X, however, doesn't bother to respond and simply turns his attention to the inspector, who was looking at his watch.

"Ten minutes and thirty-two seconds," Inspector Detector answers.

The medic nods again, taking in the information. X can see the look of shock on Speed's face, but it is quickly replaced by a look of realization, and he looks down at X with a look of awe in his eyes.

"Alright sir, I'm going to have to take-"

"No, you won't," X replies, beginning to sit up.

"X..." Speed begins to speak but ends up trailing off.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to stay down," the medic demands, reaching out and grabbing X's shoulder.

"You can ask," X responds, shrugging off the hand. "But I'm not going to comply."

"Sir," the medic insists, his tone getting angry. "If you do not comply-"

"You won't do a thing," X snaps. "I'm fine and I'm not giving you any consent to take me to a hospital, nor am I giving you consent to take off my mask."

The medic, now red in the face at having to deal with the uncooperative man, opens his mouth to tell the racer off, but a hand on his shoulder stops him. The inspector shakes his head at the medic.

"You're going to lose this fight," Inspector Detector replies. "He says he's fine, so let him be."

"It's my job-"

"We're well aware," the inspector interrupts, "but your service is no longer required."

The medic glares angrily at the inspector, but realizes he isn't going to win and so he gets up and heads back to the ambulance, talking to his partner and explaining the situation. X follows the medic's actions before looking over at his car.

"Tow truck here yet?" he questions.

"I see it on its way now," the inspector replies.

"Good," X responds, getting to his feet slowly and making his way over to the Shooting Star.

He hears Speed and the Inspector get up behind him and follow him to the two cars. Both of them stand on either sides of him, and while the inspector is busy looking over the wrecked vehicle that will be in need of serious repairing, Speed is eyeing the Masked Racer critically. X obviously feels the look and turns his direction towards the young racer. He doesn't ask the boy any questions, and that's the only prompt Speed needs before he speaks.

"Are you sure you don't want to go with them?" Speed asks. "Should you even be moving around?"

"Yes, I'm positive I don't want to go to their hospital," X answers. "And yes, I can move around. Like I've said before, I'm used to this."

"Are you infused with robotic parts, X?" Speed questions.

"He may act like a robot, but he's not," the inspector answers for X quickly.

Speed chuckles at the answer. It had been a rhetorical question, so Speed hadn't been expecting an answer, but the Inspector's answer is just as good as no answer. The trio watches as the flatbed tow truck hooks up the Shooting Star and flip it until it can be properly placed onto the flatbed. When the straps were placed over the damaged race car, keeping it in place so that it wouldn't roll off during travel, the inspector informed the driver on where to take the car.

"Guess that's that," Speed comments. "I should meet up with my family before they show up and haul the Mach 6 off themselves."

The young racer makes his way to his car and is about to hop in when X's voice stops him,

"Speed."

Speed turns his back towards X in curiosity. X is still standing in his previous spot, though his upper body is turned in Speed's direction.

"Thanks for sticking around," X continues.

Speed blinks at his fellow racer before smiling and rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's nothing X," Speed responds. "Like I said, you did it for me back at Fuji, it was only right that I'd do it for you. But X, do me a favor and don't get involved like that again. You shouldn't take any more hits for me; I'm not a kid, and I can handle them."

"I don't know what you're talking about Speed," X responds, turning back to look at his car. "I was trying to get around you."

Speed sighs and shakes his head. He already heard that lie when X gave it to the medic, and he didn't need it told to him a second time. He knows X had taken the hit for Speed on purpose, just like he's noticed that, at all the other races they've been in, X would get involved one way or another if a fellow racer had his sights set on Speed. It puzzled the boy some nights, but he ultimately chalks it up to the two of them being friends. The only other option isn't an option Speed willingly thinks about because of the pain it brings.

"Right," he responds, hopping into the Mach 6 and placing his helmet on his head. He buckles himself in and turns on the engine, listening to the engine roar to life. "Get the Shooting Star fixed up soon because I want you at your best when I beat you."

"We'll see about that kid," X responds, a smirk on his face.

Speed smirks back at X and heads off for the exit, leaving X and the inspector with the tow truck worker. Once they see the car off, the two get in the inspector's car and drive off.

"You should tell him," the inspector states, pressing the issue yet again.

"No," X responds, leaning his head against the seat.

"He's going to figure it out," Inspector Detector states. "Why not make it easier on him and tell him sooner than later?"

"I'm not planning on telling him ever," X counters.

"Never?" the inspector questions.

"Never," X confirms.

"Why?" his boss questions.

"Because it would kill him," X replies.

"He's not a child X," the inspector argues. "He understands the dangers of this job, and of what he's doing to the racing world. You revealing your identity won't put him in anymore danger than he's already in."

"I didn't mean physically," X responds. "I meant emotionally."

The inspector glances over at X, staring at him quizzically. X closes his eyes behind his sunglasses, knowing full well his boss can't see them.

"For eight years I've made him believe I was dead, and when he confronted me about being Rex, I told him I wasn't. That's two lies I've made him believe," X explains. "Besides that, he now knows that my job is dangerous, and that I suffer worse injuries than a concussion. I only have to worry about Speed on the race tracks; Pops will worry about him off the track. Now, if I was to tell Speed that I'm Rex, I don't need Speed worrying about me on and off the track. It's better for him if he continues to believe Rex is dead."

The inspector nods, now understanding X's reasoning's.

"You know, it sounds like you're in a tragedy," Inspector Director comments.

"It's better this way," X responds.


End file.
